I like the Elite Ozone one. It goes a long way and it smells nice in a menthol way. Recommended.I never both taking it with me to Europe so I just use panthenol cream for 110k+ rides, like nappy cream, no zink.Either way I use very little. On the other hand with good nicks and my Selle San Marco saddle I don't usually have an issue.

Kind of like a tasty natural version of Vasoline. A girl at work uses it on her lips, she was applying it one day as I walked past and before I could stop myself I said "Oh, I use that on my *rse" and gee, didn't I get a funny look!

Grumps

You are very tedious, and grumpy. Stay at home and give advice from your armchair.- Stonedpirate, June 2010

I used to make my own chamois cream back in the pre-Brooks saddle days.That's before I bought the first one,not before they were first made!I bought a 500gm. tub of sorbolene(aka "skin repair cream) from a supermarket and mixed a couple of dessert-spoons of honey into it.The honey is a very effective anti-biotic with no side effects and bugs (including Golden Staph.)don't become resistant to it. It's a bit sticky until it dries,which is about 10 minutes or so, but I never noticed it while riding. The cocncoction was very good at preventing chafing and infections and 500gms. cost about $4.Interestingly,about the same time that I acquired the first Brooks,I was taking a medication that caused dry skin.I had a temporary relapse of chafing and a couple of infected boil-like thingys. One of the nurses (a touring cyclist ) suggested that I change from using regular bar soap to one of the many liquid body washes with moisturer in it. Again,from the supermarket.I've been doing on average about 200kms. a week since then...no chamois,no chamois cream...and not a single incident of chafing or infection.The nurse's opinion,FWIW,was that the chamois wicked away sweat,taking the natural oils in the skin with it and the resulting dry skin was very susceptible to chafing and infection.

Only started using it recently and this is the only one ive tried. Ive never needed it before but I find the more im riding 3 different bikes with 3 different saddles, sometimes in knicks and sometimes just shorts/trousers. My bits cant get used it

30-40km and I dont bother.[thats a trip into the cbd and return] I never use it when wearing regular clothes. I use it on the roadie and mtb. Any they vary but around 70+km on the roadie and 40-50km on the mtb. Just under 3hrs on the roadie and 3-4hrs on the mtb.

Anything longer than that and it starts to be really worthwhile I think.

Skin and just small amount on each side. Not much more than a thick dose of suncream.

Some people trowl it on like mortar But I think your body shape will have something to do with it, when my legs were twigs I didnt need any but since they are a bit chunkier I started to chafe sometimes on longer rides.

I think you can apply it to the chamoix but I dont think its really needed with modern gear. I think the practice is a hangover from the old days when you had to keep it lubed or it would dry stiff as a board!

Courtesy of a bunch of free samples that were handed-out at Ausbike Expo I have been able to do a comparo between Chamois Butt'r, Qoleum and Aussie Butt Cream.

First thing is that all three are very good products. Second thing is I can only relate them to myself.

So, Aussie Butt Cream comes out on top for overall effectiveness and ease of application. Chamois Butt'r is the same sort of consistency but does not seem to have the same long-lasting effect and Qoleum has staying power but, being petroleum jelly based, is quite greasy.

Some posters in this thread have been talking about Zinc Oxide as if it is a bad thing. It has many properties including anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects, but it is not included in all nappy rash creams. Zinc has no effect as a moisture barrier, other components of the creams take care of that bit.

As to the original question, the dedicated Chamoix creams do a very similar job to nappy cream and it might be interesting to compare them. I note however that Amolin, Bepanthen and Curash are all quite different in their composition. (I have small children)

For the record, Amolin is my choice for riding, though I don't bother for anything less than an hour. I have always applied it to the pad, probably merely out of habit (yes I have ridden with genuine leather chamoix and those nicks were terrific to wear but a pain to look after). I might apply it to skin next time just for variety.